In exchange for my honest review, Reader’s Digest books gave me two free grammar books, pictured above. These are wonderful, hardback books that I am pleased to add to our reference library.
At the end of this post is information about how you can win your own copies. So be sure to enter and spread the word.
The Books
The red book is Write (Or Is That “Right”?) Every Time: Cool Ways to Improve Your English by Lottie Stride.
This book would be suitable for upper elementary or middle school students. It has humorous illustrations and a modern font. All the basics of English are covered: parts of speech, parts of the sentence, spelling, and punctuation. It is a quick overview, just enough to jog your memory or provide a sample sentence. There are no exercises or assignments. This is not a textbook but a simple reference book.
The white book is My Grammar and I . . . Or Should That Be Me?: How to Speak and Write It Right by J.A. Wines.
This book is a bit more advanced and more traditional than the other. I would recommend it for middle schoolers (and maybe on into 9th grade). There are no illustrations, but the text is laid out nicely with plenty of headings, subheadings, shaded areas, and offset boxes.
The topics are comparable to Write (Or Is That “Right”?) Every Time: spelling, parts of speech, sentences, and punctuation. Oddly enough, the book has no index. So you have to rely on the table of contents to find what you need.
My Grammar and I is more of a living book than the Write (Or Is That “Right”?) Every Time. It has more commentary and quirky details about the grammar being addressed.
How I Plan to Use These Books
I will certainly have these on the shelf for quick reference. I don’t expect to stop using our Write Source which is far more comprehensive, but sometimes having a “second opinion” is helpful.
Additionally, I think that I will assign sections of My Grammar and I for Sprite to read and narrate back to me, writing her own example sentences to illustrate the facts.
Giveaway Details
Three winners will receive copies of both books in a format of their choice — either hardback or ebook.
[Note: Hardback books are an option only for people living in the USA. International winners will win ebook versions.]
How to Win
Leave me a comment here telling me what you use for a grammar reference, if any. Simple! I’ll randomly choose a winner (via And The Winner Is WordPress plugin) on August 26, a week from today.
Hi and welcome! I'm Jimmie and this is my online collage of our Charlotte Mason homeschool. Taking just a little more time to document our learning shortens the learning curve for other busy homeschool moms.
Feel free to browse around my posts and freebies. My aim is to bless each reader with something useful. 
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My first grade daughter is using Growing with Grammar and we’ll be referencing Write Source for sentence and paragraph instruction. Thanks for the review! They look handy!
Actually we’ve been looking for some good grammar reference books.
Debbie recently posted Geography/History.
I have a first grader and preschooler. We are just dipping our toes into grammar with First Language Lessons. However, I am a grammar junky. I love quirky modern grammar books as well as vintage antique grammar books. If I win these, they would totally be for me and not the kids (at least for several years).
I really should have a grammar reference but don’t at the moment. We review grammar as we go through our writing assignments. I just haven’t yet found a program I like and that we could stick to.
These look great! I always feel very inadequate when it comes to grammar – I know when something doesn’t “look right” but can’t always explain why. Having these on the shelf would be great for both the kids and me!
I’ve been on the lookout for something suitable for upper elementary and just haven’t happened upon it yet. I still have my college reference book from 1985. Do you suppose the same rules still apply? Will a 10yo read it????
Tammy recently posted Back in the High Life Again!.
We will be embarking on our second year of hs in Sept. The only reference book I have is an old college textbook I saved called The Allan/Bacon Handbook (or something like that). We used it once this past school year. I have an 8th, 6th, 4th, & 1st grader and we’d love to have a few grammar books for our shelf.
I have used First Language Lessons with my children. I used Rod and Staff with my oldest, however I am looking for something more playful for the next kids. Is that a man-eating sea serpent I see in your post? Sign me up! Who knew sea monsters and grammar could work together. My boys will be all over that page of “Pronouns.”
we’ve used first language lessons for the early years. a little here and a little there. but the red book looks fantastic!
This year my daughter (7th grade) is doing a study based on Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. It is excellent.
I have been looking at these two books you are giving away and thinking of adding them to my shelf. I hope I win!
We have the overwhelming Chicago Manual of Style on our shelf, ugh.
Twitter: NotInadequate
August 19, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Wow, three winners! That’s very generous – sign me up.
I am trying out Easy Grammar with the kids, but have conflicting feelings about doing it at such a young age…
For myself, I mostly either try to remember Jr. High English, or rewrite my sentences until they feel right. It’s very scientific. I could use a reference book. I love Reader’s Digest – I remember my Grandmother having almost every single Reader’s Digest Condensed Version ever published. I gobbled up lots of great literature through those books.
Deb recently posted C’mon – Gimme More Guesses!.
We’re using dictation, narration, copywork, and Rod and Staff for English. We don’t have a refrence for grammar, but would love these!
I need a grammar refresher book for my self:) would love one of these on my book shelf.
Anna-Marie recently posted Geography lesson on Brazil.
My little one isn’t quite old enough to formally teach grammar yet, so I don’t have any resources.
I’m not using any reference books for grammar right now, but I’ll be needing them soon. I’d love these.
I would love these! Thanks for the opportunity to win them. I have an old Rod & Staff English Handbook on my reference shelf, but that is about all.
I don’t use anything for a reference right now. I always did great in English, but as the children get older I find they need one at times when I am busy (there are seven of them in school now).
Kd Blackburn recently posted i heart faces ~ friends.
I do not have any grammar resources, so I would love to win these.
Oh dear…I don’t yet use a grammar reference. Yet again getting gentle reminders and great advice from Jimmie’s Collage!
Melanie recently posted Just Like Riding a Bike.
The only grammar reference books we have are the ones dh and I bought for our college English classes. I really need a good grammar book for the kids.
Not using anything currently, but will be needing something in the near future. These look like wonderful books to add to our library (which is lacking in the grammar/English section). Thank you for the possibilities.
I use my husband. He knows it all.
What a blessing to have a ‘knows it all’ husband!
We have the First Language lessons books, but they aren’t technically reference books…so I guess I technically have nothing!
Goodness, I have these books on my Amazon wishlist. We don’t really need them right now, but I WANT them to have on hand for when we do! Definitely could use them as resources when I find myself in a bind as to which way a sentence is supposed to go. Lol!
Jade =) recently posted Homeschool Mother’s Journal, August 19th.
We don’t have any book on the shelf at this time to use for reference. We usually use a “search” online to find whatever information we need at the time.
We just started using Writing Tales. Previously we used Ruth Heller books.
sarah in the woods recently posted Little Ones Getting Bigger.
I do have an old copy of Write Source that I picked up at a used book sale. And I bought Word Fun for the kids because it is so descriptive in a fun way that it will “stick!”
Sad to say I haven’t started Grammar with my son. I think these books would be great. This will be our 1st year homeschooling.
We’ll be using Easy Grammar this year, but we don’t have a good reference book yet. I have one Basher book (on punctuation), and a college English textbook for myself.
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